Tunneling machine having horizontally and vertically reciprocated rotatable head



A riE 18 1%? W.TINLIN p y TUNNELING MACHINE HAVING HORIZONTALLY AND VERTICALLY HECIPROCATED ROTATABLE HEAD 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 i ilallil Filed Aug. 27, 1964 W. TINLIN TUNNELING MACHINE HAVIN VERTICALLY RECIPROCAT Filed Aug. 27, 1964 G HORIZONTALLY AND ED ROTATABLE HEAD 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

aw, 144W Apnl 18, 1967 W. TINLlN 3,314,725

TUNNELING MACHINE HAVING HORIZONTALLY AND VEHTICALLY RECIPROCATILI.) ROTATABLE HEAD Filed Aug. 27, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet (5 April 18, 1967 W. TINLIN 3,314,725 TUNNELING MACHINE HAVING HORIZONTALLY AND VERTICALLY RECIPROCATED ROTATABLE HEAD 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 27, 1964 United States Patent Office 3,314,725 TUNNELING MACHINE HAVING HORIZONTAL- LY AND VERTICALLY RECIPROCATED ROTAT- ABLE HEAD William Tinliu, 21 Hickory St, Chicago Heights, Ill. 60411 Filed Aug. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 392,484 6 Claims. (Cl. 299-62) This invention relates generally to tunneling machines and more particularly to such machines for forming a relatively smooth walled bore of substantially any length, and this application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 360,585, filed Apr. 17, 1964.

An important object of this invention is to provide an improved tunneling machine for automatically cutting a bore having a substantially larger cross-sectional area than that of the cutting work head and a larger crosssectional area than that of the machine itself.

Another important object of this invention is to provide an improved tunneling machine which will cut a bore having a cross-sectional area of any desired shape.

Another important object of this invention is to provide an improved tunneling machine which may be self-propelled and automatic in its operation.

Another important object of this invention is to provide an improved tunneling machine which will form a clean bore of substantially any desired cross-sectional area and length without the need of manual labor within the tunnel.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of one preferred embodiment of this invention as shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an improved tunneling machine according to the invention as seen generally from its forward end;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the improved tunneling machine as seen generally from its rearward end;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the improved tunneling machine showing the arrangement of the vertical drive means for laterally raising and lowering the work head, dther parts of the machine being broken away or omitted;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view taken along the lines 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view taken along the lines 5-5 of FIG. 3 showing the arrangement for lateral horizontal sliding movement of the work head;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines 66 of FIG. 1 showing the arrangement of the horizontal drive means for effecting lateral horizontal movement of the work head, other parts of the machine being broken away or omitted;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines 77 of FIG. 6 showing the arrangement for vertical sliding movement of the work head;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view taken along the lines 8-8 of FIG. 6 showing the arrangement of the horizontal drive means; and

FIG. 9 is a schematic view showing the flow control mechanism for actuating the hydraulic drive motor incorporated in one form of the invention.

This invention provides a rock tunneling machine having a rotatable or rotatably oscillating work head on' which is mounted a plurality of rock cutting tools actuated by impact hammers, e.g. electric or hydraulic, and arranged around the periphery of the work head, a suction chamber being formed on the interior of the work head substantially co-axial therewith and arranged to draw air from the periphery of the Work head surfaces of the cutting tools.

across the cutting The chamber is connected 3,314,725 Patented Apr. 18, 1967 to and communicates with a suction tube which also serves as a support or tail stock for the work head and a supply of air enters the chamber from adjacent the outer perimeter of the work head, flowing across the faces of the cutting tools toward the center of the work head and thence into the chamber. A bafi le means is attached to high.

The high velocity of the air will entrain all of the cuttings and debris in the air stream as it flows into the chamber and in addition to collecting and evacuating the cuttings, the high velocity of taming the tool points at a low operating temperature. Since the life of the tool points or cutters is dependent on the temperature, i.e. the lower the temperature the longer the tool point will remain sharp, the flow of air creased useful life for each tool point. Another advantage of placing the chamber on the interior of the work head, rather than enclosing the entire head with a shroud, is that the impact devices or hammers are readily accessible. Thus, in the event one of the hammers should become defective, it can be quickly and easily replaced by a workman standing adjacent to the side of the work head, thus eliminating the need for removal of shrouding from the machine and the need for backing the machine from the tunnel. The amount of down time, or time during which the machine is not cutting, is thereby kept at a minimum. A tunneling machine incorporating a work head of this nature is disclosed in my before-mentioned copending application Ser. No. 360,585, filed Apr. 17, 1964, of which this application is a continuation-in-part, and to which attention is invited for a more detailed disclosure of the work head structure.

The essential concept of the present invention is to provide a traveling tunneling machine having a rock cutting work head movable transversely relative to the longitudinal axis of the machine along any suitable path in a plane normal to the path of travel of the machine so as to describe a predetermined area. In this manner the size and configuration of the bore developed by the work head is substantially independent of the size and configuration of the work head itself or the arrangement and orientation of cutting tools carried thereby. The cutting tools may be of any suitable type and carried by a work head which is rotatable or nonrotatable, oscillating or non-oscillating. An important feature of this invention is that the work head is caused to move in a predetermined closed path of any predetermined configuration.

Because of weight and power requirements for work heads used in tunneling operations, it is often impractical thus have been impractical for use in tunneling operations involving large bores. This invention incorporates a tunneling machine having a rock cutting work head of convenient and practical size which can be used to cut a tunnel having a face area many times the face area of the work head itself.

Turning now more particularly to the drawings, the improved tunneling mchine comprises a work head 10, for example, of the type disclosed in the aforementioned copending application Ser. No. 360,585. A plurality of impact hammers 12, each having a cutting tool 14 detachably mounted thereon, are supported around the periphery of the work head to form a central opening therein. The work head 10 is rotatably carried by a hollow carrier shaft 16 and is rotated by means of a suitable motor 18 and chain drive 20. The central opening formed in work head 10 communicates with the interior of shaft 16.

A frame 22 comprises a pair of spaced substantially rectangular vertical frame members 24 and 26 joined by spaced horizontal frame members 28, 30, 32 and 34. Adjacent the forward side of the front frame member 24 a vertical jack screw 36 is mounted on frame 22 between the horizontal frame members 28 and 30; and a companion vertical jack screw 38 is mounted parallel to screw 36 between horizontal members 32 and 34. Similarly, another pair of vertical jack screws 40 and 42 are mounted adjacent the forward side of the rear frame member 26 and between frame members 28-30 and 32-34 respectively.

A horizontal jack screw 44 is mounted between bottom frame members 28-32 adjacent the rearward side of the frame member 24; and a companion horizontal jack screw 46, parallel to screw 44, is mounted between frame members 30-34 on the rear side of frame member 24. Also, a pair of horizontal jack screws 48 and 50, adjacent the rear side of the rearward frame member 26 are mounted between frame members 28-32 and 30-34 respectively.

The parallel horizontal slide bars 52 and 54 are horizontally oriented perpendicular to vertical screws 3638 and are attached for lateral vertical movement relative thereto by means of the nut members 56. Similarly parallel slide bars 58 and 60 are horizontally oriented perpendicular to vertical screws 40-42 and are attached for lateral vertical movement relative thereto by means of the nut members 62. A slide bar 64 is vertically oriented perpendicular to the horizontal screws 44-46 and is attached thereto for horizontal movement by means of the nut members 66; and a like slide bar 68 is vertically oriented perpendicular to horizontal screws 48-50 and is attached thereto for horizontal movement by means of the nut members 70.

The carrier shaft or tail shaft 16 is provided at its forward end with sleeve members 72-74 slidably engaging horizontal slide bars 52-54 and a sleeve member 76 slidably engaging vertical slide bar 64. Similarly, carrier shaft 16 is provided at its rearward end with sleeve members 78-80 slidably engaging horizontal slide bars 58-60 and with sleeve member 82 slidably engaging the vertical slide bar 68. Horizontal bars 52-54 and 58-60 support the weight of carrier shaft 16 and work head 10 carried thereby and in addition serve to keep them at all times in a position parallel to the longitudinal axis of frame 22.

In the particular embodiment of this invention herein shown, each vertical screw 36-38-40- 12 is provided at its lower end with a sprocket 84-86-88-990 respectively around which is passed an endless drive chain 92. Suitably mounted on frame member 28 is a housing 94 which supports a reversible first driving means, here shown as a hydraulic motor 96, and main drive sprockets 98 around and between which the drive chain 92 is passed. Actuation of the first driving means or motor 96 causes simultaneous rotation of the four vertical jack screws to drive the nut members 56 and 62 to raise or lower the carrier shaft 16 as desired; the said nut members being directly attached to the respective horizontal slide bars as shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5.

Likewise each horizontal screw 44-46-48-50 is provided at one end with a sprocket 100-02-104-106 respectively around which is passed a drive chain 108. Suitably mounted on frame member 134 is a housing 110 which supports a reversible second driving means, shown as a hydraulic motor 112, and main drive sprocket means 114 around and between which passes the drive chain 108. Actuation of the second driving means or motor 112 causes rotation of the horizontal screws 44, 46, 48 and 50 to move carrier shaft 16 laterally in either horizontal direction as desired.

For automatic control of the operation of the machine a pair of limit switches 116 and 118 are suitably mounted on the longitudinal frame members 28 and 30, respectively, adjacent vertical screw 36 for engagement by an arm 119 on the slide mounting bracket 121 attached to the respective one of the nut members 56, at the lower and upper limits, respectively, of the vertical movement of carrier shaft 16 (see FIG. 3). Similarly, a pair of limit switches and 122 are suitably mounted on frame members 30 and 34, respectively, adjacent horizontal screw 46 for engagement by an arm 123 on the respective slide mounting bracket 125, which is attached to the nut member 66, at the limits of horizontal movement of carrier shaft 16.

In the arrangement shown the limit switches 120, 118, 122 and 116 are operated sequentially, in response to engagement by the respectively adjacent nut members 66 and 56, so as to actuate the reversible motors 96 and 112 in such a manner that the nut members will be driven first in a vertically upward direction (assuming the start to be at the lower right hand corner of the front end of the machine as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 3), then horizontally to the left at the upper part of the machine, then vertically down-ward at the left hand side of the machine, and finally horizontally across the bottom portion of the machine to the starting point where the limit switch 120 is engaged by the upper nut member 66 to stop horizontal movement and start vertical movement for repetition of the tunnel-face-traversing cycle.

Selective control of the motors 96 and 112, under the influence of the limit switches, for their forward and reverse directions of sequential operation may be had by any suitable power switching means. In the arrangement shown the motors 96 and 112 are hydraulically driven by fluid pressure from an electrical motor-pump unit 127, mounted at the rear end of the frame 22 (see FIG. 2), and this fluid pressure may be controlled by any suitable solenoid actuated four-way valve means 124 operable to selectively control the start, stop and direction of rotation of the two motors. This operation of the valve means 124 is shown schematically in FIG. 9.

As indicated in FIG. 9, the valve means 124, when in the position shown at 124a, directs fluid from the pump conduit P through conduits 96' to and from the motor 96 and then to a reservoir, not shown, by way of a conduit R. The valve 124 is actuated to this position by operation of the limit switch 120, as the nut members 66 reach the right hand end of their horizontal movement, and the horizontal-drive motor 112 is shut off while the motor 96 is actuated in the forward direction so as to turn the screws 36-38 and 40-42 in the direction to cause upward travel of the nuts 56 and hence upward movement of the work head carrier shaft 16.

When the nuts 56 reach the upper limit of their normal travel, the limit switch 118 is actuated by the bracket bar 119 and this causes the valve 124 to shift to the position 1241) wherein the pressure fluid from the pump P is directed, through the conduits 112, to and from the motor 112 to cause it to drive in the forward direction and rotate the screws 44-46 and 48-50 so as to drive the nuts 66 to the left, as viewed from the front end, to move the work head carrier 16 across the upper part of the frame 22. In this position 12 4b of the valve means 124, the conduits 96' to the motor 96 are closed and the motor 96 is fully stopped.

When the nuts 66 reach the leftward extent of their travel the bracket bar 123 engages the limit switch 122 which, in turn, actuates the valve means 124 to the position 124a, shown in FIG. 9. At this condition of the valve means 124 the flow of pressure fluid is cut off from the conduits 112, the motor 112 is stopped, and the flow of pressure fluid is directed in the reverse direction through the conduits 96 so as to operate the motor 96 in the reverse direction of rotation for the screws 36-38 and 40-42. This causes the nuts 56 to travel downwardly,

at the left hand side of the machine for a descending movement of the work head and its carrier 16.

Thus, when the nuts 56 reach the extent of their travel in the downward direction the bracket bar 119 engages the limit switch 116 which now operates the valve means 124 to close off flow of pressure fluid to the motor 96 andto direct the pressure fluid in the reverse direction to the motor 112 by way of the conduits 112'. This condition of the valve means 124 is indicated at 124d in FIG. 9. The motor 112 is now operated, reversely, to turn the horizontal screws 4446 and 48-50 so as to drive the nuts 66 to the right to move the work head 10 across the bottom portion of the machine toward the starting position. When the'nuts -6 reach the predetermined limit of travel to the right hand direction, the bracket bar 123 engages the limit switch 120 and operation of this switch actuates the valve means to the starting condition, indicated at 124a in FIG. 9, whereupon repetition of the cycle of work head travel, transversely of the longitudinal axis of the machine, is begu i i In this manner motors 96 and 112 are actuated selectively in their forward and reverse directions so as to cause the work head and its associated cutting tools 14 to move in an orbital manner which describes an area in a plane normal to the longitudinal axis of frame 22. This area, which is normally the area of the tunnel face, is substantially larger than the cross-sectional area of the machine frame 22 and this is accomplished because the cutting diameter of the work head 10 is sufficiently large that, during orbital movement of the carrier shaft '16, the work head 10 and cutting tools 14 always project laterally beyond the lateral limits of frame 22.

In a preferred form of the invention the Work head 10 has a cutting diameter of thirty-six inches and moves in a rectilinear path three feet on a side. The tunnel face formed thereby would be substantially six feet square with the corners rounded substantially to an eighteen inch radius. In this form of the invention the frame 22 would be constructed to have a lateral cross-sectional area somewhat less than the area of the tunnel face.

In the form shown, the frame 22 is mounted on a plurality of wheels 126 for movement of the machine forwardly and rearwardly along its longitudinal axis. A hand wheel 128 may be used to rotate wheels 126 by means of a gear drive assembly 130 as shown in FIG. 2. The design of the gear assembly 130 may be such that each revolution of hand wheel 128 moves the machine a predetermined distance such as, for example, one-h-alf inch. Thus, upon completion of each full cycle of travel of work head 10 over the tunnel face, the hand wheel 128 may be operated to advance the machine a predetermined distance substantially equal to the depth of the cut made by cutting tools 14. In this connction it should be understood that power means may also be employed for automatically driving the wheels 126 and that movement of the machine in its forward or rearward directions may be remotely controlled.

It should be understood that terms such as vertical and horizontal are, used in their relative sense and are not to be construed as defining absolute directions. It should also be understood that the tunneling machine is designed so as to be operable for performing cutting operations in any direction.

Although the motors incorporated in the preferred form of this invention are of the reversible hydraulic type; electric, pneumatic or other types may be used provided suitable control means are furnished so that they may be properly controlled by limit switches disposed at the limits of lateral travel of the work head carrier.

The configuration of the area described by the work head is determined by the limit switches. Therefore, it is to be understood that the number and placement of these limit switches, and the sequence in which they operate to energize and de-energize the motors, may be varied in accordance with substantially any desired plan of movement for the work head in the course of its traverse of the working face.

Although a specific embodiment of this invention is herein shown and described, it should be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be modified, altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A tunneling machine comprising frame means movable along its longitudinal axis, said frame means including laterally spaced frame members, longitudinally oriented carrier means slung between said. frame members parallel with said longitudinal axis for lateral movement in vertical and horizontal directions normal to said aXis, a work head carried by said carrier mean-s and extending longitudinally beyond the forward end of said frame means, and means operatively associated with said frame means and said carrier means for holding said carrier means parallel with said axis and effecting continuous movement of said carrier means in alternate vertical and horizontal directions such that said work head traverses the entire axially projected area of said frame means.

2. A tunneling machine comprising frame means movable along its longitudinal axis, said frame means including longitudinally and laterally spaced frame members, longitudinally oriented carrier means slung between said frame members parallel with said axis for lateral movement normal to said axis, horizontally and vertically movable guide means for holding said carrier parallel with said axis, a work head carried by said carrier means and extending longitudinally beyond the forward end of said frame means, and actuating means operatively associated with said frame means and said movable carrier guide means for effecting automatically continuous movement of said carrier means normal to said axis and along a path such that said work head traversethe entire axially projected area of said frame means.

3. A tunneling machine according to claim 2 wherein said actuating means includes sensing means carried by said frame means and so oriented as to be engageab-le by said carrier means in the course of its movement in at least one of said lateral directions, said actuating means being responsive to said engagement of the sensing means for changing the course of movement of said carrier means from said one of said lateral directions to another of said lateral directions.

4. A tunneling machine comprising frame means having a longitudinal axis, said frame means including a plurality of horizontal and vertical frame members spaced from said axis, a plurality of horizontal and vertical jacks supported by respective frame members, a plurality of guide members mounted on respective jacks for horizontal and vertical movement thereby, longitudinally oriented carrier means supported by said guide members for movement in a plane normal to said axis, a work head extending from said carrier means longitudinally beyond said frame means and being provided with at least one cutting tool, and actuating means operatively associated with said jacks for effecting alternate horizontal and vertical movement of said guide members thereby effecting movement of said carrier means in said plane such that said cutting tool describes the entire axially projected area plurality of sensing means carried by said frame means and so oriented as to be sequentially engageable by said carrier means in the course of its movement in said plane, said actuating means being responsive to said engagement of the said sensing means for automatically changing the course of movement: of said carrier means in said plane.

5. A tunneling machine according to claim 4, wherein said jack-s comprise at least one pair of horizontal and at least one pair of vertical screws, said guide members comprising at least one horizontal slide means engaging said pair of vertical screws for vertical movement thereby and at least one vertical slide means engaging said pair of horizontal screws for horizontal movement thereby, said carrier means being slidably mounted on said slide means.

6. A tunneling machine comprising frame means movable along its longitudinal axis, said frame means including longitudinally spaced vertical frame members connected by longitudinally extending frame members, said vertical frame members being disposed in respective planes normal to the said axis, a horizontal slide bar mounted on each of said vertical frame members in a plane parallel therewith, a vertical slide bar mounted on each of said vertical frame members parallel with the plane thereof, a longitudinally oriented work head carrier means slidab'ly mounted on the vertical and horizontal slide bars of each of said vertical frame members, first driving means for moving the horizontal slide bars vertically on said vertical frame members, second driving means for moving the vertical slide bars horizontally on said vertical frame members, and means positioned for engagement by said carrier means for actuating said first 8 and second drive means sequentially to cause said work head carrier means to traverse automatic-ally a predetermined area wit-hin a plane normal to the axis of said machine while maintaining the axis of said carrier means parallel with the axis of said machine.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,540,682 6/1925 Dreher et al. 175--51 2,528,748 11/1950 Greene 299-56 2,561,343 7/1951 Crossley s- 175-91 3,013,784 12/1961 Osgood 2'9960 3,108,788 10/1963 Allimann 299-57 FOREIGN PATENTS 21,568 8/1899 Great Britain. 101,389 5/1962 Netherlands.

20 ERNEST R. PURSER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A TUNNELING MACHINE COMPRISING FRAME MEANS MOVABLE ALONG ITS LONGITUDINAL AXIS, SAID FRAME MEANS INCLUDING LATERALLY SPACED FRAME MEMBERS, LONGITUDINALLY ORIENTED CARRIER MEANS SLUG BETWEEN SAID FRAME MEMBERS PARALLEL WITH SAID LONGITUDINAL AXIS FOR LATERAL MOVEMENT IN VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL DIRECTIONS NORMAL TO SAID AXIS, A WORK HEAD CARRIED BY SAID CARRIER MEANS AND EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY BEYOND THE FORWARD END OF SAID FRAME MEANS, AND MEANS OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID FRAME MEANS AND SAID CARRIER MEANS FOR HOLDING SAID CARRIER MEANS PARALLEL WITH SAID AXIS AND EFFECTING CONTINUOUS MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIER MEANS IN ALTERNATE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL DIRECTIONS SUCH THAT SAID WORK HEAD TRAVERSES THE ENTIRE AXIALLY PROJECTED AREA OF SAID FRAME MEANS. 